Edgeless
by Dozen-Glass-Roses
Summary: This story has been adopted from Apacalyptic-Angel. Originally named Over the Edge. Please enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**note:** These are the flocks that I've constructed using the submissions. I've made minor changes and additions to some of the characters, so if you don't like what I've done, PLEASE tell me and I'll see if we can't try and fix whatever I screwed up. I'm really sorry that I wasn't able to use all of the submissions! They were all great, but alas, there were too many. anyway, hope you like!

**Ren's flock:**

**Wrenelle "Ren"**

Gender: F

Age: 14

personality: Is tough but not super tomboyish, the type of girl who would kick your butt IN her frilly pink skirt(if she wore frilly pink skirts), independent, sweet, wants to be the best leader she can be, witty, quick thinking, impulsive, bad, can be mean when she needs to be.

Personality (fault): Is very impulsive and over romantic

Appearance: curly brown hair, bright green eyes, pretty, 5'7", skinny. wears a hair band.

Power: Cannot be killed

Wings: A simple gray.

Quirks: Stutters when embarrassed or lying, blushes easily.

Crush: Issac

**Ember Grace "Emmy"**  
Gender: F

Age: 8  
personality: self-proclaimed nonconformist, kind of quiet, but when she talks she says the most, erm, interesting things (i.e "I often wonder why people wear clothes..." and "violence is not the answer, it is the question, and the answer is YES!") She likes painting and drawing and is really good at magic tricks and singing and she loves lighting things on fire, ergo, the name Ember.  
personality fault: she doesn't think much of herself, and therefore skips meals and argues with people who tell her she's pretty, cute, beautiful etc.  
street clothes: Anything that looks weird and/or is brightly colored, rain boots and scarves are her personal favorites.  
Bio: Rejected experiment, left to die after a trial of her powers at age 5, wandered around until Issac found her.  
Appearance: Pretty face, long curly black hair, pale skin, hazel eyes, has a scar on her right arm, starting on her shoulder and stopping on the back of her hand.  
Power: Touch healing, can touch other people and heal them.  
Wings: Salt and pepper  
quirks: sometime sings in her sleep, likes to hang upside down from things.  
Crush: Eli Fisher

**Cam (short for Chameleon)**

Gender: F

Age 14

Personality: Is quiet but very opinionated and feels strongly about things even if she doesn't say much about it! Tomboy doesn't like skirts. Dresses etc... Wears converse, t-shirts and jeans. Stubborn (comes with being opinionated), slightly sarcastic. Good at solving puzzles and thinking and acting fast in bad situations.

Personality (faults): Stubborn, quick witted, opinionated can get on peoples nerves. Can become overly quite when stressed or thinking. Becomes slightly withdrawn when angry.

Appearance: Long wavy Dark brown hair, grey blue eyes, average build, pretty but modest,5'6-5'7, wears hair in high pony tail or loose and all over the place.

Power: Can control all aspects of water, freeze it boil it move it etc...

Wings: Dark brown gets lighter as goes down her wings.

Quirks: taps finger when stressed or impatient.

Crush: Flynn

**Issac**

Gender: M  
Age: 15  
Personality: Quiet, reclusive, loves to read and listen to music, sarcastic and witty, good at giving advice (if you like advice as cryptic and confusing as a fortune cookie), highly empathetic, sensitive when he has to be. But of course he's a nightmare in the head, and can be creepy when it comes to his intelligence.  
Personality (fault): Can be cold to strangers or people he doesn't trust, and he's terrible at being specific.  
Appearance: Snow white hair fashioned like Iggy's (it's the only way I could put it), Silver eyes, 5' 10", likes to wear gray jeans and a white tank top or t-shirt.  
Power: Never forgets... anything, lightning quick reflexes. (I'm unsure as to whether the cannot be killed part was for your characters or the whole lot so, I won't include it)  
Wings: Snow white, but blood red along the edges.  
Quirks: Tends to be very formal, stares off into space and zones out frequently.  
Crush: Ren, big brother tendencies toward Ember

Note: found Ember first.

**Crim  
**Gender : F  
Age: 13  
Personality: She is a sneaky, sly, hard to trust girl. She was born in a school and ran away. She's been pickpocketing to stay alive and is quite the trickster. Her name comes from Criminal, from her stealing days, and Crimson, the color of her wings. She is steadfast and brave and will do anything to save her friends. Her glare is one to be feared.  
Personality (fault): Bad at making friends and doesn't care about her appearance very much. She also has a habit of making sarcastic comments to people.  
Appearance: She has dirty blond hair that she cut off with knife because it was getting in her face. It is very straight. She doesn't concentrate on her looks really. Her eyes are chocolate brown and she is pale. She is 5'3" and short. She has freckles dotting across her face. She wears jeans and graphic tees and sneakers.  
Power: She can make herself not be able to be heard  
Wings: crimson

Quirks(weird things they do): Stares into space a lot.  
Crush:

**Flynn**

Gender: M**  
**Age: 14  
Personality: He is quiet and smart, but he is tough when he has to be and is a good fighter. he is a great stagiest and thinker. He can be strict if necessary and is always trying to get people to laugh and cheer up. He would die to save his friends. He has been living in the forest for years. He is good at rigging traps. He is very persuasive when he tries.  
Personality (fault): He is sometimes too quiet and too modest. He is afraid the other will think down of him if he shows off. Also, he hates being wrong and has terrible aim.  
Appearance: He has light brown hair and bright blue eyes. He is tan from living outside and is 5'9". He normallly wears jeans and a t-shirt and a windbreaker and boots.  
Power: Can turn his head all the way around  
Wings: barn owl, brown, white and gray  
Quirks(weird things they do): Spouts random facts sometimes  
Crush: Cam

* * *

**Alexei's Flock :**

**Alexie "Alex**"

Gender: M

Age: 14

Personality: is a sweet guy, though puts on armor to keep his flock safe, will do anything for his family, is hard on outsiders, likes to scare people, independent,

Personality fault: Yells when sad, and has temper

Street clothes: White t-shirt and jeans

Bio: Undisclosed

Appearance: pierced ear, brown hair, green eyes, muscular for a bird kid, has tattoo on right bicep, 5'10"

Power: Cannot be killed

Wings: black

Quirks: Throws things when mad, blushes easily.

Crush: Snow

**Makayla (aka Kayla)**  
Gender: F

age:14  
personality: has a fiery temper, insanely protective of her loved ones, often acts without thinking, sarcastic and often rude... she's actually very sweet, much to her dismay, and funny. Amazing fighter and strategist.  
Personality fault: curses when upset, loses temper easily.  
Appearance: wavy black hair with red streaks, deep brown eyes, pierced ears, always has a necklace, 5' 4", looks Asian  
bio: just discovered that her mom was British and her dad was Japanese. lost a brother to erasers.  
Power: controlling fire.  
Wings: white with black dots (part white falcon.)  
quirks: chews on lip when nervous, likes her nails long.  
Crush: Alexei

**Nikoletta**

Gender: F

Age: 9, twins with Nikolas.

Personality: Usually Very calm and collected, always trying to keep everyone out of trouble. Yet she's exceptionally sensitive and emotional. She trusts few people, but she trusts with all her 9 year old might. Any betrayal could send her over the edge. Her nickname is Letty. Letty is very sweet and loves anything small and fluffy.

Appearance: Straight Black hair cut to just past her ears, REALLY-pale green eyes, pale skin, normal bird-kid height.

Power: Supernatural emotion levels that can spread around her, making a field of emotion that will either repel or attract others.

Wings: Pale gray with black tips.

**Nikolas**

Gender: M

Age: 9, Nikoletta's twin.

Personality: Easy to set off. He's like a time bomb, especially without his sister around. If he knew always having a calm emotion spread near him exhausted her, he'd have her stop, because he wouldn't want her to suffer. Nik wants every scientist to suffer in hot acid. He is also an animal lover though, strangely enough.

Appearance: White hair, really really dark brown eyes, pale skin, average BK height.

Power: Senses emotions.

Wings: Black with gray tips.

**Snow**

Gender: F

Age: 13

Personality: Sarcastic (I know, everyone says sarcastic), headstrong, very blunt, energetic, sassy, like, the queen at fight banter, and if she can't beat them, she can confuse them or just annoy them to death. She's also very good at stalling for time or creating a distraction.

Personality fault: Sometimes underestimates her opponent or gets overconfident

Street clothes: Black tank-top, ripped jeans, bright yellow high tops.

Bio: Was one of the bird-kids from the Institute, when they escaped all the others eventually died off and she's been on the run ever since.

Appearance: Pale, big storm-cloud gray eyes, medium-length black hair with choppy layers, kind of short, and just has an innocent sort of look around her

Power: Very intuitive and good at reading body language

Wings: Black

Quirks: Loves rock music

Crush: Alexei...

* * *

**Imirie's Flock:**

**Imirie**

Age: 14

Personality: Somewhat quiet, is strong, aloof, sweet, independent, is very calm and collected, thinks things out.

Appearance: Long curly brown hair to waist, green eyes, pretty, 5'7".

Bio: undisclosed

Power: cannot kill

Wings: white

Quirks: has manga obsession...

Crush: Same as Ren...

**Five (Ivi)**  
Gender: F

Age: 13  
Personality: She is as poisonous as her nickname suggests on the outside and she hides her feelings with sarcasm and toughness. She is very bad at making friends and is generally feared by others, except her flock who can see past her uncaring demeanor. She is intimidating and generally hates most people. She is very sarcastic and not girly at all. She doesn't trust most poeple.  
Appearance: Ivi has light brown hair and hazel eyes. Her hair long and wavy but she normally has it pulled back in a ponytail. She is very tan and has almost invisible freckles. She is 5'6" and can be very intimidating.  
Bio: She was born in an Itex facility in Kansas and was broken out with her friend, Zero, by an unknown flock. Zero and Ivi didn't trust the flock and fled into the woods. She doesn't remember much of her past life other than her experiment number was 50555, so she took her name from it. Zero was her only friend until she met the flock.  
Power: invisibility for about 5 minutes.  
Wings: cardinal wings.  
Quirks: throws thing a lot.  
Crush: Zero

**Zero**  
Gender: M

Age: 13  
Personality: He is very talkative and is almost the complete opposite of Ivi. He loves people and always has something to say. He is trusting and loves Ivi like a sister. He is often very cheerful and upbeat. He talks a lot and is sometimes way to talkative. He interrupts people a lot.  
Appearance: He is blond hair and blue eyes and is very pale. No freckles and he is 5'8". His hair is very short and stiff.  
Bio: Same as Ivi only his experiment number was 03001, where he got his name.  
Power: none.  
Wings: seagull.  
Quirks: can be a dumb blond at times His "zero brain power" moments as Ivi calls them.  
Crush: Ivi

**Fetcher (fletch)**

Gender: M  
Age:14  
Personality: quiet, defiant, mildly rebellious, blunt, has good sense of humor, doesn't like unfair fights, friendly towards new comers. Good listener.  
Appearance: dark tanned skin. Prominent muscles. He has dark oak brown hair. His eyes are a forest green with gold and brown flecks in them. he stands at about 5'6" according to his 14 year old age. Crooked nose. Has lots of scars.  
power: geothermal manipulation, can make people trust him automatically.  
wings: speckled like ospreys  
quirks: likes welding, can't stand the word can't. Likes yoga. Hates mustard. Afraid of frogs. strategist. Hacker  
crush: Imirie

**Eli Fisher**  
Gender: M

Age: 11  
personality: Bookish, really, really smart, knows a little bit about everything, (which is annoying,) gentle hearted, open minded, basically, he's everything most 11 year-old boys are not. He's a really good arguer, a better driver (yes, I mean cars), and the best guitar player. Major head banger. He wants to be a NASCAR driver, or a rock star or a manga writer when he grows up.  
personality fault: He can be MEGA ANNOYING, what with knowing everything! that and he's sort of careless. and he thinks that knowing all the swear words makes him cool.  
Bio: He was made in Japan, and escaped with his (now long gone) step father.  
appearance: Asian, super cute, longish short hair, has his ear pierced.  
power: super stealthy ninja-ness.  
wings: Dark brown  
quirks: Secretly loves country and tecno music.  
Crush: Ember Grace


	2. a little thing like a magic show

**[here it is, took a while, but that was just because of some days in which I had writers block and other days in which I was lazy. Alex's flock will come in in the next chapter, and Max's flock soon, not sure when, but soon. If you think I screwed up your character, I'm very sorry and please tell me so I can change it. I'm so sorry to all the people whose characters were not picked. Also, Eurwen de Vrill, sorry about not fixing Kayla's crush, I'm thinking Iggy maybe. so, i think that's it, enjoy!]  
**

Ren's POV

The word is a big place. It's full of creepers and sickos who torment the people like me. Who do things that no one should have done to them. Like kill them for instance.

I have died so many times by now, each time was something different, I have been burned to death, ripped in half, starved, I feel it all, it's actually interesting, though, I have died over thirty different ways, and lived, I've been caressed by death, over and over again, because I happen to be project Phoenix. But that was three years ago, today I'm with my flock, my family, and I love them, now and forever.

And today was a new day. Albeit, my flock and I were starting our new day by waking up under a bridge in New Jersey, homeless, dirty, and with no money, but it was still a new day and we were together and free. And we could make anything happen. Well, almost anything.

I rolled over and sat up, rubbing the back of my head, tangling my hair just a little more. What I would give for a hot shower and some clean clothes, uh, starting with my right hand.

"All right!" I jumped to my feet before I let myself think of a good reason to go back to sleep. I would, given the chance. "Up and at 'em guys! Rise and shine! We have stuff to do!" I said brightly.

"Like wake up before the freaking sun?" Crim asked groggily. "We don't have school or jobs, why get up?"

"'Cause Ren said so." Issac said, giving his head a little shake to fix his hair. The ultimate in cute behavior, if you ask me. I would have swooned but I had to wake up the weirdest child in the world, because she was deaf when she slept.

I knelt next to Ember, and shook her shoulder gently. "Emmy?" I said softly.

She shifted and mumbled. "_Finished with my woman, 'cause she couldn't help me with my mind,_"

_Whoa, were those Ozzy Osborn lyrics? _

I shook her harder, "Wake up!"

Her eyes opened scary fast and she stared at me for a moment. "It is not good to wake the Master of the Fruit People like that. He'll spit oily boots at you." She said conversationally.

"He?"

"Yes, Issac of course," She kept a straight face. "But he must keep it secret, so shhhh!"

I tried really hard not to laugh. Issac is the Master of the Fruit People, go fig!

"Okay, I'll try to remember that, sweetie." I said, ruffling her hair. Yes, she's weird and we all love her for it. She keeps things- interesting.

"Yo, Ren, what's for breakfast?" Crim asked.

"Well, let us see," I dug around in my backpack. "An almost empty bag of Cheez-its, strawberry gum, and some chapstick, if anyone is really hungry."

Cam snorted. "Who wants to say grace?"

"Crim, do you think you could lift something?" I hated asking, but we had to eat.

"Yeah," Crim smiled shiftily. "Easy."

"Nope," Flynn suddenly jumped into the conversation, "got something here." He held up four fat, dead squirrels.

"Are those kosher?" Cam asked.

"Nice, but they need to be cooked." I pointed out. "Starting a fire here might bring attention to us, _just maybe_."

"But hobos start fires in oil drums all the time," Ember said, looking at something spray painted on the bottom of the bridge. "I'd love to start a fire. Can I burn your socks, Ren?"

"Aren't those toxic?" Crim asked.

Issac snorted and I went red. "No, you cannot burn my socks. Yes, they might be toxic. Yes, hobos make fires, _in the winter_, it's June."

"We could all have colds…" Ember trailed off, and spun around in a full circle, then clapped her hands twice, she just- does really, really strange things sometimes.

"I will return!" she shouted.

"I'll watch her." Issac said. He chased her as she dashed across the street.

_Oh, Issac_, he was a piece of work, his mind was almost always miles and miles away, somewhere quiet and thinky, and Ren-less. He didn't ever seem to notice me unless I was tripping over something or giving straight-up orders. But he was so- gosh, I don't even know a word for what he was, hmm, is hot-and-gorgeous-and-soo-out-of-reach-that-he-never-even-looks-at-my-face a word? For all he cares, I'm his grandma, that's how out of reach he is.

The thing is, as far as I can tell, there's no other girl. Unless it's Ember. _EW. _No, there's no other girl. He's just totally out of everything. I could be wearing a heart shaped party hat and can-caning in my underwear and he would probably ask me what was for dinner. The only time anything close to romantic happened between us was when we first met.

"So, can you get us something?" Cam asked Crim.

"No, I think Ems got it."

"Huh?" Flynn said, the dead squirrels still swinging from their tails in his fist. Poor squirrels.

"look." Crim nodded at the sidewalk.

Crazy Ember might be, that girl is a genius

* * *

Imirie's POV

There are four things in life that bother me, one is needles, another is cages and the third is dying, it just kind of sucks, a lot. It hurts, too, but mostly it just sucks. That statement is not one most people can make, because, unlike my luckless self, they only die once. And as I've made pretty clear, dying sucks.

But enough of how much dying sucks, I still have one more thing that bothers me, and that thing is breakfast at McDonalds. I kid you not. I can't stand the things they pass as food there. It's just gross.

"What is_ that_?" I asked as Ivi plopped her tray down across from me. I was skipping breakfast, and having some coffee instead, because they hadn't ruined that, yet.

"They said pancakes." She flipped one over with the tips of her fingers. "Yummy, you want some?" she asked sardonically.

I held up my coffee. "I'm good."

"This is nasty." Eli said sitting down on my left. "How do they get the cheese so frigging yellow?"

"Beats me, Sharpie?" Zero took the seat across from Eli.

"Isn't that poisonous?" Eli asked, "Sharpie, I mean."

"Yeah, I think it is, then again, so is alcohol, but people drink that all the time," Zero noted. "And I've seen girls with Sharpie all over them, like fake tattoos, so it can't be that bad."

"But if you eat it?" Eli frowned. "It can't be _good_."

"No, they're fine." Fletch slid into the chair on my right. "They used to let me suck on sharpies when I was little." There was a little spark in his eye.

"Really?" Eli asked, awed.

"Yep." Fletch grinned.

I glanced across the table at Ivi and we shared a look, _boys. _

Later, once everyone had finished choking down the gritty, greasy substance with overly-yellow cheese that passed as food, we filed out of the small building into the early morning sun. It was Saturday, and small groups of people were already rushing past us on their ways to shopping or meeting up with friends.

That's when everything changed, though no one would know it until it was too late. It's weird how little things lead to bigger things and bigger things can kill people. Little things like magic shows.

"Come one, come all! See things that man does not know!" a small, black haired girl was standing on the corner, waving her arms and jumping up and down. "The maddest magic on earth, performed by yours truly, right here, right now! Don't miss this once in a thousand life time's opportunity! That's right ladies and gents! Watch as I turn back time itself!"

People were stopping to stare, to see time turned back, to feel bad for the girl, who was sort of grungy looking with old, faded clothes.

"Oh, my," Eli breathed. "She's so…" he paused, looked at me and then finished. "Beautiful."

"She's too young for you." Ivi said shortly.

"Can we watch?" Eli asked.

"Fine, but just for a few," I said after chewing it over for a second. I didn't see any harm in sticking around for a while.

"For my first trick, I shall do what we all do, pull a rabbit out of my hat." The girl announced.

"But you don't have a hat," Someone called.

The girl's hands flew to her head. "Oh, flippermuffans, I must have left it on the other side during my last visit, could I borrow a hat from anyone?"

A floppy sun hat was passed to the girl. She balanced it on the fire hydrant that she was standing next to and reached inside. A moment later, she pulled a stuffed rabbit out. I clapped with everyone else: that was pretty good.

"now, you must see the must see," the girl said. "I will turn back time, but I will need a helper."

Hands shot up. She picked Eli. "What's your name?" she asked him as she fished around in her pockets.

"Eli." He smiled at her.

"How old are you Eli?" she asked.

When he said "eleven." I flinched. He knew better than that.

"Fantastic. Aha! Here it is!" the girl pulled a Swiss Army Knife from her back pocket. "Do you mind if I cut you?" she asked, acting really businesslike.

He was a little freaked out, I could tell because he didn't look so dreamy-eyed for a second.

"It will be really quick, I won't cut deep or anything, it'll go away, I swear." She added.

"Okay," he finally said.

"Cool, just the back of your hand." She took his hand and he flushed red.

"Folks, this is time going forward, I am cutting Eli here, he is now damaged." She held up his bleeding hand. Some of the people made little shocked sounds.

"But now you will witness time going backwards, away from the damage." She tugged a worn bandana from her hip pocket and wrapped it around Eli's hand. "Would you be so kind as to close your eyes and count out loud to five?"

"Sure," Eli shut his eyes. "One, two, three, four, five."

The girl whipped the bandana away, and showed everyone his unmarked hand. Then she forced Eli down in a low bow. When she came up she shouted. "If anyone would like to give a small sum of cash for the performance, please do so." She toed an old Starbucks cup. Then bowed again.

That's when the first shot was fired. That was when the change was cemented. There was no going back now.

**[right, then, what did you think? REVIEW or Ember will sic the Fruit People on you!] **


	3. Suck

Alex's POV

Hi, I'm Alex, and I'm really not the bad guy here. Wait, can I start over? Sorry, that- just sounds like a villain's pick-up line or something. Okay, here goes: Yo, I'm Alex, the freak with wings... Much better.

And the fact that I work for them doesn't make me one of them. I'm nothing like them. It's not like I woke up one morning and said 'time to sell my soul! Let's go kill people!' or anything like that, I never wanted to kill anyone, (especially because I know what dying is like,) I never wanted too much of anything: peace, quiet, some food, maybe a TV… But, nooooo, I'm in a freaking pick-up truck, on the way to kidnap a bunch of people, 'cause some chick named Baker said so.

"are we there yet?" Snow whined, making up for the fact that Nik and Letty were being totally silent.

"five more minutes," I said in what Letty calls my 'mommy voice', yes, I am fourteen year-old **boy**, and I have a 'mommy voice', isn't life fantastic?

"you said that ten minutes ago," Kayla pointed out, being as unhelpful as she could. "and ten minutes before that, and then fifteen minutes before that… are we lost?"

"no." I kept my eyes glued on the road.

"do you know where we are?" Snow said.

"yes."

"where?" I could hear her smirk.

"on a road, in New Jersey," I tried not to look at her.

"oh, yeah, what road? What part of Jersey?"

"not the Turnpike, the top part." I risked a sidelong glance at her, and got an eyeful, that girl is fantastic in every sense of the word. "does everyone remember what we're doing when we get there?"

"subject change much?" Snow snarked.

I ignored her. "do you?" I looked at Nik and Letty in the rearview mirror.

"yeah, yeah, we tag 'em with the dart rifles, tie 'em up, toss 'em in the back of the truck and put the tarp over 'em, and then get the heck outta dodge." Kayla snapped.

"and then we're free," Letty said so quietly I almost didn't hear her over the rumble of the engine. "and we won't have to live at Suck anymore."

"and then we can come back and get them!" Nik shouted, pumping his fist. "get all of them! And burn Suck to the ground!"

K.S.C.U is the acronym for the lab where we had lived a good part of our lives, it's the last names of the people who funded the project, and if you rearrange the letters, it spells Suck. Ergo, we lived at Suck. It's lucky for them that there wasn't a Fulton in the founders group.

"and let the tigress and her cubs out," Letty said softly. "and the chimpanzee."

"whoa, the tigress?" I didn't like where this was going.

"she's afraid too." Letty said simply.

"what's that?" Kayla pointed out the window, at a small crowd. We'd driven into a town, a middle class Jersey suburb, with a coffee place and a strip mall and stuff like that.

"that," I braked as smoothly as I could, "is our target."

**[kay, theres that. thanks to silent-ninja-twins for the help with this chapter**... **uuumm, oh yeah! I has a question! is anyone against me having another oc of mine in Max's flock? I'm not sure if she should though, if you wanna read about her, the story is on my profile, A pair of little silver wings**. **-(shameless plug) anyway, review! and peace! and stuff like that...]**


	4. Stupid

**[SORRY! I'M SO SORRY! I had major writer-block on this! I suck at plotting, so if anyone has any ideas for plot points, PLEASE give them! I'd love any help! Any ways, this is really short, I'm trying to work out the rest of the writers block, so, it's not the best I've ever written, blah... I'll try to write more ASAP, this is hard because there are so many characters, and I'm trying to keep them all from being OOC, plus, as-fore mentioned, I'm plotless, anyways, enjoy! I'll make the next chapter longer, I swear... REVIEW! thanks... ]**

Ren's POV

There's a certain point in one's life when one sees everything exactly as it is. I was experiencing just that: The boy hanging out of the window of a white pickup, a gun- don't know or, care what kind- carelessly pointed at Ember as she came up from her third bow. _She's dead._ I thought, _I'm not fast enough to save her, I'm sorry Emmy. _

She didn't see it. She smiled at the crowd.

_She'll die smiling. _I thought, a little shocked.

She waved and blew kisses.

My knees locked.

"GET DOWN!" Eli, the blushing boy who volunteered for Embers trick, shoved Em down and crouched over her. I tracked the bullet as it sailed over his head.

The crowd shattered like a light bulb thrown against the sidewalk, mothers grabbed their children's hands and everyone started yelling at once. Humans are such wusses, one bullet and they lose it.

I turned just in time to see the doors of the truck being thrown open, and five kids, none older than me pour out on the street.

_Oh, please, God, please don't let it be him, please, I'll never lie again if this is gang violence or serial killers, please, oh please…_ I'm not really religious, but this was huge, I needed help big-time, so I prayed.

"Hey, Renny!" The would-be sniper called. "Long time no see, huh?" he walked toward me, arms out a bit, like he wanted a hug.

"Hi, Alex." I'm not the queen of comebacks on the best of days. My head was imploding and my hands were shaking. _So_ not my day. I might not be so hot with words, but I can still kick some major tail. I lunged at him, and he swung his gun at me.

_STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! _I chided myself, as he pulled the trigger. _You let him bait you! Just like when we were kids!_

"Sweet dreams, sissy." He said, turning away, to get the rest of my flock.

_Stupid… _I thought, _stupid Alexi… _


	5. Triplets?

**[i lied, this one is short too, I'm too sleepy to write more... I hate mornings. Anyways... Mamjam gave me a plot point! thanks! I shall attempt to write fastlier. anyways, enjoy!]**

Imirie's POV

Everything happened way too fast, I had no time to think of a plan, no time to gather my flock, I only had time to panic.

To myself, of course, but still, I had a horrid sinking feeling that something really, really bad was about to happen as the Little Magician bowed with Eli again, clinging to his hand.

_Wow, _I thought in a bout of arbitrary reflection, _the Little Magician would make an awesome name for a manga. _

Fletch tensed at my side. I glanced up at him, he's a few inches taller than I am, and saw his tight jaw.

"What is it?" I asked.

I didn't get an answer. The crowd began to scatter. A few people screamed about 911.

"Hey, Renny!" I knew the voice instantly. If it wasn't my brother, the one our sick-minded creators had always favored. "Long time no see, huh?"

I searched the crowd for Wrenelle. There she was, next to a pale haired boy, a brown haired boy, and two girls about our age, she had grown taller in three- or was it four?- years, her hair was short now, and she was beautiful, just like I had always thought she was.

And Alexi was… well, he was Alexi, but now he had an earring and a tattoo. His face was calm, and he was holding a rifle in his hands, the kind that fired hypodermic darts.

"Hi, Alex," Ren said, so softly that I had to do a bit of lip-reading to understand. She had never been one for words. That much hadn't changed.

I almost called out to Ren, to remind her that Alex wasn't worth fighting, and that it was a waste of movement, but the thought came too late, and Ren attacked too fast.

He fired into her in the shoulder, at nearly point blank range. That would be a tad painful to pull out. She fell back like a ragdoll, and I winced as she flopped to the concrete. Her head cracked against the hard surface.

I felt something between my shoulder blades, a jab. I turned to see a black haired girl, with yet another rifle, this one leveled at me.

"Lights out," she said, almost sorrowfully, and pulled the trigger. I tried to stop the dart, but to no avail, it punched through my pant leg and into my thigh. I tugged it out, but I was too late, and I sunk to the ground.

Where was Fletch?


End file.
